Sedition law to stay, government stresses need to combat 'anti-national','secessionist' elements

Sedition law to stay, government stresses need to combat 'anti-national','secessionist' elements

Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday that there is no proposal to scrap the often contentious sedition law. Minister of State (Home Affairs) Nityanand Rai told this to the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The reply states that the sedition law is necessary to combat 'anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements'.

Ministry of Home Affairs said on Wednesday that there is no proposal to scrap the often contentious sedition law. Minister of State (Home Affairs) Nityanand Rai told this to the Rajya Sabha in a written reply. The reply states that the sedition law is necessary to combat 'anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements'.

Government's written reply to the Rajya Sabha

Section 124A of the IPC states, "Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added".

The law, though intended to safeguard national interests, has a reputation of being allegedly misused by BJP and Congress-led governments in the past. Many parties have promised in past to repeal the law but it has stayed on in independent India.

In its manifesto in the run up to Lok Sabha election 2019, the Congress had promised to repeal the law while then Home Minister Rajnath Singh had weighed in against repealing the law. He had opined that the sedition law was effective in tackling 'anti national' elements.